Publikation
Trustworthy AI and the EU AI Act: Market Analysis
Iris Merget; Mihai Maftei; André Meyer-Vitali
BDVA, BDVA Task Force etami, Vol. v. 1.0; CC BY-SA 4.0, 12/2025.
Zusammenfassung
The European Artificial Intelligence (AI) market stands at a critical juncture, defined by the complex interplay of groundbreaking regulation, rapid technological evolution, and intensifying global competition. With the adoption of the AI Act, the European Union (EU) has become the first jurisdiction to implement a comprehensive, risk-based framework for AI. This legislative milestone, alongside the Data Act and Data Governance Act, establishes the EU not merely as a regulator, but as a potential global standard-setter for AI.
However, regulatory leadership alone does not guarantee market dominance. The durability of the EU's position depends on whether this governance framework can be matched by scalable investment, the retention of top-tier talent, and the creation of a unified market for data and innovation adoption.
EU's strengths are many. They lie in a deep industrial base within safety-critical sectors such as ealthcare, finance, and manufacturing, combined with world leading research in AI ethics, explainability, and risk governance. Early exposure to the AI Act offers European firms a distinct "first-mover" advantage, positioning them as the global suppliers of choice for responsible, transparent, and secure AI solutions. Although all these aspects should position EU with a strong competitive advantage, several structural weaknesses counterbalance the situation. A fragmented ecosystem across national borders, and a chronic
shortage of late-stage venture capital limits the capacity of European startups to scale globally. This funding gap, coupled with the migration of skilled talent to North America and Asia, poses a significant challenge to long-term competitiveness. Furthermore, dependence on external providers for critical
stack layers exposes the EU to strategic vulnerabilities and systemic risks.
The outlook, therefore, is one of conditional opportunity. To succeed, the EU must ensure that regulation functions as a catalyst for innovation while protecting fundamental rights, rather than a bureaucratic constraint. This requires a holistic strategy: mobilising capital to bridge the growth-stage funding gap, facilitating compliance for SMEs, and aggressively investing in the "computing and data" infrastructure, skills and supporting mechanisms that underpins modern AI.
If these priorities are executed effectively, the EU can align ethical values with industrial prowess to consolidate its position as the global leader in Trustworthy AI.
Strategic Priorities for Europe on Trustworthy AI:
Mobilise capital at scale to close the late-stage funding gap and enable the growth of competitive made-in-Europe AI companies.
Ensure regulatory coherence and consistency and establish mechanisms that prevent regulation from becoming an innovation barrier, especially for SMEs.
Invest in sovereign infrastructure, including high-performance computing and interoperable, unified data spaces.
Support innovation schemes that ensure fair and efficient use and access to shared AI resources, HPC and data spaces.
Deliver a clear, deliberate message promoting a value-based AI business mindset, where trust offers competitive advantage.
Leverage cultural and linguistic diversity as a unique asset in AI model design.
Strengthen international partnerships with like-minded global actors (e.g., Japan, Canada, UK, Australia and the Global South) to advance shared standards, research and innovation.
Retain and attract AI talent through targeted research and innovation funding and competitive incentives for companies and individuals.